Improving Diagnostic and Management Tools for Human Cysticercosis / Per-JHU TMRC PROGRAM OVERVIEW Principal Investigator / Program Director (last, middle, first): GARCIA, Hctor H. Improving Diagnostic and Management Tools for Neurocysticercosis (Per-JHU TMRC Program) PROJECT SUMMARY Taenia solium neurocysticercosis continues to be a major cause of seizures and epilepsy in most of the world. Our group has continuously worked in NCC for the last 25 years and has provided landmark contributions to its study, diagnosis, and treatment. This TMRC application builds on a recent ICIDR application and uses resources developed and acquired over this period including sample libraries, in vitro and animal models (including three new models recently developed in our settings) and recently available nanoparticle diagnostics and genomic data. Our objective is to provide improved diagnostics and monitoring as well as more efficient antiparasitic and antiinflammatory therapies in order to minimize brain damage which follows parasite death. Early diagnosis and improved treatment should result in reduced frequency of epilepsy secondary to NCC. The Per-JHU TMRC application frames three component Research Projects and three Cores to provide a fully functional research network and take advantage of the endemicity of the disease and our existing, highly successful research network in Per. The scientific core will serve as the foundation to be used by the two research projects, and will include capacities for in vitro and animal models, molecular biology techniques, and analytic processes, and will be supported by the Data Management and Biostatistics Core. An Administrative Core including Ethics and Animal Care units will ensure full compliance with local and international research codes and regulations. Three projects comprise the program: The three research projects are Component 1 - Improved Diagnostics Assays for Viable or Degenerating Neurocysticercosis; Component 2 - Biomarkers for Monitoring Treatment Efficacy in Human Neurocysticercosis, and Component 3 - Improving the Understanding and Treatment of Brain Inflammation in Neurocysticercosis. The Program will take advantage of the specific objectives of these research projects to provide a unified set of promising tools ready to be tested in clinical trials and translated to human use.